September 10, 2001

Contacts: Rich Gordon (406)523-4575 or David Dittloff (406)523-3492

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Elk Foundation hires Montana businessman as president and chief executive officer

MISSOULA, Mont. – After sifting through more than 100 resumes and interviewing dozens of candidates in a nationwide search for a new president and chief executive officer (CEO), the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation announced today the hiring of a businessman from the same small western Montana town in which their headquarters is located. Starting September 24, Rich Lane of Missoula, Montana will take the reins of the 131,000-member

"Before beginning our search, the Elk Foundation’s board established several qualifications for a new CEO—leadership, business experience, a passion for elk and wild places, and a personality that could relate well to staff members, volunteers and donors,” said Jon Fossel, chairman of the board for the Elk Foundation. “I have no doubt that Rich Lane meets or exceeds all of our expectations. He was the clear, unanimous choice of our board."

 “It is a fantastic honor to be selected by the Elk Foundation board to serve as the new CEO,” stated Lane. “I can’t think of anything better than leading the best wildlife conservation organization in North America. We are going to do great things.”

Lane, current manager of Smurfit-Stone Container’s forest resources division in western Montana, has strong ties to the conservation movement. He is presently the chairman of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, a position he will vacate when he steps in as Elk Foundation CEO. He sits on the Elk Foundation’s habitat council, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation board, is a member of the Five Valleys Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy, and served on the Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp board for seven years.

“I’ve been a conservationist all my life,” said Lane.  “My dad had a degree in wildlife biology and used to take me hunting and fishing all the time.  I grew up that way.  I think those experiences are the seed of my passion for this new job.”

In his position with Smurfit-Stone, Lane gained a reputation for fostering nontraditional, collaborative approaches to natural resource issues by promoting sustainable forestry practices within the industry, and partnerships with conservation groups. Under his leadership, the company has worked with the Elk Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and other land trusts to develop wildlife-sensitive forest management plans for conservation easements held by these groups. Lane spearheaded a $50,000 donation to the Five Valleys Land Trust for easements along the Clark Fork River in western Montana and another $50,000 toward bull trout restoration.

”When I worked in the for-profit world, I learned that the best way to build a long-term solution was to provide a win for all parties involved,” said Lane.  “That is the key to business relationships. The Elk Foundation has a strong commitment to partnerships with public land agencies and private landowners, and I plan on continuing that tradition.”

Lane is not daunted by the task of taking over an organization with a $40 million annual budget and 185 employees.  He believes his business background in forestry, long-term planning, financial controls, organizational efficiency, procedure implementation, and personnel management suits him well for the job. 

“Running a business where revenues are put on the ground to conserve, protect and enhance elk habitats will be a lot of fun,” said Lane.”

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Founded in 1984, the Foundation now has 131,000 members who have helped generate the funds to conserve and enhance more than 3 million acres of wildlife habitat across North America. With its recently initiated “Pass It On” campaign, the Elk Foundation has committed to conserving an additional 2 million acres of key habitat within the next five years, benefiting thousands of elk and numerous other wildlife species. To learn more about the “Pass It On” wildlife habitat conservation effort, visit www.elkfoundation.org or call 1-800-CALL ELK.

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Note:  For a print-quality, digitized picture of Rich Lane email  ddittloff@rmef.org.  General pictures of elk in various settings are always downloadable at www.elkfoundation.org.